One-on-one with Candace Mandracia

A: From a venue standpoint, we do have local band showcases at the House of Blues, and despite what people think, playing a gig here is not an impossible dream. However, a lot of the tours we book are prepackaged, meaning the headliner and support are already set and there isn’t room for a local. If we were afforded more opportunity to add locals to these touring packages, we’d be doing a better job at developing our local artists from the ground up.

Q: What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to? How about the most surprising?

A: Best concert ever was Pearl Jam when they played the Civic Theatre many years ago. The most surprising was when a band called Shudder to Think opened up for Smashing Pumpkins years ago and the lead singer played the entire set in the nude. That image is forever burned in my head.

Q: What is something people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I’m single. My mom made me write that. I also find that most people are surprised to learn what my nationality is: I am half Japanese and half Italian.

Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Since my job requires long hours and late nights on any given day of the week, I cherish the weekends and use it as a time to decompress. In my spare time I like to go sailing at Sail Bay and squirt kids in kayaks with Super Soakers (water guns). That’s always good for a chuckle, they never see it coming. And at night, I usually make plans to go to a local bar and meet up with friends, but most of the time I flake on myself. I work out a lot and my friends usually comment on the impressive amount of times I “check in” at the gym. San Diego is blessed with so many things to do, I’ll never get tired of it.